Posts Tagged ‘Bali’

Bali is every Australian’s cheap vacation spot. It’s only about a 3.5 hour flight from Perth and was quite an amazing experience.

How to do Bali:

Step 1: As you arrive at the airport, there will be about fifty local Indonesian guys asking if you need a taxi. Do not say yes or they’ll charge you 100,000 IDR (Indonesian Rupiah). This is a rip off here in Bali. A taxi should only cost you 10,000 IDR (approximately USD 73 cents). As you will learn, everything is cheap in Bali.

Step 2: Become a millionaire. Exchange $100 USD for ~$1,371,740 IDR.

Step 3: Stay in a hostel in Seminyak or Kuta and meet a random group of travelers. Hire a motor scooter for a day for 50,000 IDR (~$4) and drive south to Uluwatu to enjoy a day on the secluded beaches and watch the sunset at the Uluwatu temple.

Step 4: Don’t forget to refuel your motor scooter at a local shop. They’ll sell you petrol for 10,000 IDR and pour it out of a 1 litre Absolut Vodka bottle (the vessel of choice here in Bali). Be careful on your motor scooter; your life is at risk with every turn. The locals drive with their whole families (husband, wife, kid, groceries) on one motor scooter like it’s a walk in the park.

Step 5: Travel up north to go scuba diving at Tulamben, a quiet village on the northeast coast of Bali. Tulamben is one of the best dive sites in the world, complete with its own shipwreck, the USAT Liberty.

Step 6: Do some bargaining with the locals in Kuta. Buy a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses for $4.

Step 7: Stay in a four star hotel for ~$50. Sit poolside and relax; you’re in paradise.

I call Bali a third world paradise because you’ll have opportunities to sit on beautiful beaches, relax poolside, and enjoy the natural beauties of Indonesia, but you’ll also experience a culture shock. The locals live a different life than what some people in the States are used to. The people may seem poor and underprivileged and they will definitely haggle you for a few dollars. This is because they rely so much on tourists spending money so they can feed their families. Even though you may see them as deprived, the local people are some of the happiest people I’ve met in my travels, which is truly amazing. Bali is known for its tourism and over the years, the growing population in Bali has caused an excess of garbage pollution in landfills, the streets and beaches. If you’re keen on a trip here, I would go soon as Bali is slowly dying because of tourism.

The items in this blog are informational only and are not meant as professional advice. Consult with your tax advisor to determine how any item applies to your situation. Kimberlee Phelan writes Where In the World, and any opinions expressed or implied are not necessarily shared by anyone else at WithumSmith+Brown.

Author

Kimberlee S. Phelan, CPA, MBA, specializes in international tax, concentrating her efforts on special projects involving corporate tax research and planning, as well as inbound and outbound international structuring for corporations and individuals. She is actively involved in Withum’s international affiliation of firms, HLB International, serving as the co-chair of the HLB North America Tax Services Group as well as co-chair of the HLB International Tax Committee.

Having travelled to over 40 countries, Kimberlee will write about her experiences in this blog, highlighting interesting discoveries, tax and accounting law changes, as well as important business and etiquette tips.